


The Man of Iron

by Quar_Ver



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Crossover, F/M, Harry Potter is Tony Stark's Child, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Smart Harry, War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:26:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28494579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quar_Ver/pseuds/Quar_Ver
Summary: Harry Potter decided to tell his father of his existence. He never thought that his father is someone who could give what he ever wanted. A real and loving family. But did he really want to risk the last family member he had? How will Tony coped with the newfound son? How would this change the route of Harry's life and the war?
Relationships: Harry Potter & Tony Stark, Hermione Granger & Harry Potter & Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark
Comments: 29
Kudos: 238





	1. Chapter 1

People wouldn't expect 12 Grimmauld Place to be filled with loud chatter, yet here it was. The house was full of Order members. Some stayed since breakfast, some came minutes ago. Since the gloomy house used as Order of the Phoenix headquarters, it became a pleasant place. The portrait of Walburga Black burned, the wall repainted, and the furniture changed. The only thing left was the family tree tapestry. If Sirius was still there, he would be amazed by how his family's ancestral home became such a comfortable place.

Albus Dumbledore twinkling his eyes as the Order of the Phoenix came inside the room. Tonks was the first person entered, followed by Harry and the Weasleys. They raised a little ruckus with random topics before Molly tapped Bill's, Charlie's, and Harry's head disapprovingly. Remus entered next, welcomed by a warm smile, and waved hand by Harry. The werewolf smiled back, straightened his cloth full of holes patched, and sat next to Arthur. The others slowly came, took a seat.

Seeing everyone already there, Albus got up to his feet. "Alright, since everyone is already here, we will begin the meeting. Remus, you may start," Albus said firmly.

Remus nodded, rose from his seat, "Yesterday, several werewolf packs sent me a letter, they agreed to join in Light Side if we change the law. They want easy access to wolfsbane potion and can get more accepted, decent life. Other than that, there is none to report." Remus watched Dumbledore, waiting for an answer.

Albus fought the urge to sigh. He was working with that since Merlin knew when, but the ministry was still tremendously corrupted. Yes, several Wizengamot members had supported him, but it wasn't enough. The longer this lasts, the harder it will be for the Light Side to win. Albus didn't like how the war turned. He couldn't let this raged long and bloody like the first war with Voldemort.

"I will work in that case then," said Albus.

And the meeting went as dull as usual. Albus couldn't help but keep eying Harry who sat unmoving beside Bill and Arthur. He looked like he was fighting an internal battle. His mouth kept closed, but the way his eyes moved from one talking member to another one, his gazes were unsteady, like he tried to split his focus into two directions.

After Kingsley reported the situation in the Auror force, the meeting was over. Everyone walked out of the room. Harry, instead of walking out, went straight to Dumbledore, made other members eyed him curiously. Not that he cared, though.

"I can help with that," Harry said calmly, "I can use Black and Potter family names. As much as I hate it, those names hold power, I just need to do a little restoration and time to make myself considered as an adult in the eyes of the law."

"And how will you do that?" Albus asked, aware of what Harry meant.

"I am going to ask Sebastian to meet my biological father and ask him to sign a petition for emancipation. Bring it into the court and done. In exchange, I will write agreements that make sure I won't use his name for anything and therefore won't damage his reputation."

After Harry found his mother's journal from Sirius' old bedroom, he had talked about this with Dumbledore, but they kept it silent. This wasn't the type of thing needed to discuss when there are more important matters, the war, for example. A family drama was the last thing they needed.

Albus nodded, still watching Harry turning to walk outside. He closed his eyes for a couple of seconds, dejection flared in him. He couldn't let Harry go without at least fixing his past mistake. Today he didn't want to make an action he will regret in the future. "Harry," the boy turned his head to meet his eyes, "if - only if, your father wants you to stay with him, can you promise me you will at least go with him for several weeks? Think about it as a holiday, you deserve it anyway."

Albus met Harry's emerald green eyes, the eyes that reminded Albus of the bright woman and man he had failed. Reminded him that before those eyes shone with life and admiration for magic and science. Harry could hide it well with his occlumency skill and acted like everything was fine. But in the end, Albus could see through it. The worst part was that he couldn't do anything.

Albus' face, minutes ago full of confidence and wisdom, became the face of an old and tired man who wanted to rest.

"I can't," Harry said as Professor Dumbledore looked even older. His heart clenched tight, he bit his lips, "But I can promise that I will consider it." With that, he walked outside. His headmaster's face lit up a bit from the corner of his eyes. It made a strange warm feeling blossom inside him, almost like a child who wanted to please his grandfather.

Harry hates that part of him. The child's part inside him, who can't help but wants to satisfy everyone he sees as a family. That includes his biological father. Harry shook his head, no time for a stupid dream. He had a redhead family to entertain.

Harry moved to the dining room, opened the door with a "creak", welcomed by three red heads waiting eagerly for him. Fred and George wore the same dark red stripe suits, a yellow tie for Fred and an orange tie for George. "Harry!" Fred started. Harry's lip pulled upward. Someone was missing, Remus. He hoped Remus stayed until dinner, but Remus kept refusing, too afraid after all his friends' death. It stung Harry when Remus walked away, as he never was his parent's friend.

"How was," George continued, snapping Harry from his thoughts.

"Your super,"

"Important,"

"Serious,"

"Secret,"

"Meeting?" they asked in unison.

"Ah, you know, boring as usual. Just a bunch of boring reports from Order members," Harry said whilst pouring orange juice into his glass.

"Well, I am sorry if we are boring folks talking about boring stuff, Harry," Bill said dryly, leaned on the end of the door.

Harry raised his glass a little with a smile at that and answered as Charlie came behind Bill, "No, oh Merlin no, it wasn't you guys that are boring, it was your... way to talk that was boring. You know, how you all talked monotony all the time."

"Said the boy-who-silent-and-still-throughout-the-meeting," Charlie snarled, making Bill snorted.

"I was thinking!"

"Pft, yeah, Mr. oh-think-a-lot."

"I swear two of you will one day become worse than the Daily Prophet in mocking the Harry Potter subject," Harry told them.

Harry took a seat next to Fred, smiled tauntingly. "So, Harry, anything we should know?" Fred asked, pointed Percy and George.

"Nothing, ask Bill if you want the details."

Percy gave him a scandalized look, but he didn't bring it up.

"Ugh, this is not fair! Why does Harry allow an Order meeting while all of us don't? I mean, Harry is fifteen, FIFTEEN, we are seventeen!"

"Shut up, I am nineteen, but mum and dad still won't allow me to join," grumbled Percy. Charlie and Bill smiled at each other. Sometimes Harry thought they had some kind of mind-reading thingy like Fred and George.

"Maybe if you start to act mature, I would consider it." Percy turned viciously to argue, but he shut up immediately with Arthur's pointed look. Arthur took a seat on the head of the table while Molly was bringing the food to the table.

"So, Harry, what made you stay with Dumbledore before?" Arthur asked while he was making a pile of food on his plate.

"Nothing important. I just wanted to ask about several spells I found interesting," Harry replied without looking at Arthur's eyes. Arthur, Molly knew he lied, and also the Weasley brothers. Harry started to think that he was an open book to the Weasley family.

"Well, you need to share it with Hermione later, you know how she is like when she found out," Arthur said, trying to act oblivious to Harry's lie.

Harry smiled. "Yeah, I think I will lose several nights of sleep."

Taking some food, making sure he didn't take too much, and Harry ate. Harry Molly eyed Harry, making him gulped. "Harry, dear, you look so pale," Molly said cheerily. Harry didn't think he looked pale even in the slightest, probably Molly wanted to put more food in his-

"Here, you need to eat more!" Molly brought a gigantic pile of noodles. If Harry was being honest, it looked like the large wool ball Hermione's Crookshank usually played with.

Yep.

Harry jerked back his plate, the sound of his plate and wooden table rang through the room. "Uh, no thanks, Molly."

"Nonsense, boy. You need to eat more," Molly insisted, shaking her head. She dropped the food vigorously. Harry tightened his smile, trying his best not to drop all the food in the trash bin.

Fred and George snickered beside him. Harry shot them the most intimidating glare he could. They coughed mockingly. Brats.

Dinner kept going by light chat (or in Harry's case, trying to eat without vomiting). Harry was the first to finish. "Excited to go back to Hogwarts that much, Harry?" Bill asked, raised his eyebrows.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Hah, nope, I am a busy guy, Bill." Harry summoned his white robe and wand. He already had his wand excluded by underage law, by messy business with the ministry.

"See you later, guys." With a crack, he apparated to his solicitor's house.

The apparition felt like hours. He disliked this kind of transportation. Too strained for his taste, but nothing he could do with it. It was the fastest way to move from one place to another.

Harry examined his surroundings that looked like an ordinary muggle house. A simple table, chairs, and decorations in muggle style, well without electricity that is. Harry tried to persuade Sebastian to use a little electricity. Magic wouldn't affect it too much if he used it in low intensity. But being stubborn as he is, he of course pretends he didn't hear Harry's idea, didn't want to risk it.

His boots pressed against the floor tile without a sound. "Sebastian?" Harry said loud enough to catch Sebastian's or his wife's attention. He got a reaction from inside, a loud clang, indicates someone was inside, stumbled by metal stuff.

"Harry?" A deep voice came from the opened door at Harry's left. A man with short brown hair and a confident look came out from a deep shadow. He looked at Harry from up to bottom, frowned at his official white robe. "Please tell me you didn't make any problem with the ministry. Or worse, cause some random havoc, because I swear, I will throw you out of the window if that happened," he said in annoyance. Harry chuckled at the memories his sentence brought back.

Harry talked in carefree, "Of course not! I use this" Harry pointed his robe "for stuff with Dumbledore."

"You have a busy day then."

Harry nodded, he faced Sebastian again, "Now, I will just to the point, okay? Great! I need you to help me with some kind of family problem. So my father is in New York, he works as a superhero. He saved numerous people. Oh, and he is extremely rich. I want you to become my representative or something like that and give him papers to sign. Simple."

Sebastian raised his hand to shut Harry up for a moment. He let go a sigh and said, "Yeah, you and I have a damn enormous gap about simple and complex definition. Now, where is the paper?"

"Ah, about that..." Harry scratched the back of his neck.

Sebastian eyed Harry wearily. "Harry? You already made it, right? Please tell me you have." He was pleading at the moment.

"Nope. That's why I'm here instead of sending off Hedwig to give you a letter. I want to discuss this with you. You see, I got this idea less than an hour ago. They are not exactly papers, they are a kind of petition, to bring to the court."

Sebastian pinched the bridge of his nose. He sat slowly, gesturing to Harry to sit on the chair in front of him. "Alright Harry, you're lucky Jeanette is not here, so I have time to spend in your business. Now spill."

Harry grinned, he liked Sebastian in a time like this.

0-0-0-0-0

Tony Stark sank to his couch, rubbing his temple in frustration. Rhodey watched his friend worriedly. Today was officially one of the worst days Tony got, ever. In the morning, he dealt with the fucking accords, giving him six hours of stress. And now this, a child claimed to be his.

Tony gave Pepper, who stood still, a tired smile. "Look, you know how careful I am. We get hundreds of claims like that per year, I won't waste my time for something like that." It's easy for people to edit a child's photo to look like him.

"His mother's name was Lily Evans," Pepper said with no expectation Tony will remember her.

Tony replayed the name again and again in his head. Despite that, nothing clicked. He could remember the woman's red hair and pretty emerald eyes like her son, but only that. "Nope. I don't remember. Give him money if he wants to. The kid sounds like he needs money terribly."

"Tony... this is not a child or woman who demanded your money. The boy wants you to sign an emancipation petition," Pepper said as soft as she could.

This made Tony caught off guard. He fidgeted from his seat, almost landed on his face if not for his reactive leg. "What?" Tony asked in disbelief. The boy wants nothing from him. That made Tony relieved. He doesn't have to pamper the boy, sign, and he can forget this long-lost son. The thought made him widen his eyes.

Now he felt like shit.

The boy doesn't want money, but why the fuck it felt worse than greedy women.

"Yeah, he brought his solicitor here to give the details and papers for you to sign."

Before he could process earlier information, he blurted, "He has a solicitor?" Tony said incredulity.

Pepper nodded. "Apparently he has his own money to pay," Pepper said, smiling slightly. "Clever boy you have, Stark."

He chuckled, tried to contain his anxiety that grew and threatened to explode like a giant time bomb. "Yes, tell this solicitor I will meet him now. I-I will try-" He closed his eyes, he couldn't make his mouth to say words. How the hell was he supposed to react? Sure, he could toss the kid away. That decision, Tony will regret every moment of it. What was the other option? Took the kid in and then what? He wasn't ready for that, any of that.

After finally composing himself, Tony said in a deep breath, "Bring the solicitor in."

The elevator sound straightened Tony. Pepper and Rhodey tried their hardest to look relaxed, even though they were also anxious.

A man who looked like in his mid forty came inside. He wore an expensive-looking black formal suit with papers in his left hand, nodded politely to everyone in the room.

"Good evening, Mr. Stark. My name is Sebastian Aviar, House Potter-Black solicitor. I am here as Harry James Potter representative since Mr. Potter can't be here at the moment."

_"Wait a minute, you know how to dress and represent me in front of muggles? Even Dumbledore couldn't do that!" Harry said. His legs on the table, his back was leaning on the chair._

_Sebastian looked disapprovingly at Harry's legs, but he did nothing about it, already got used to it._

_"Of course, who do you think I am? It's not uncommon for me to get clients who have problems with muggles. And I am a half-blood. My parents taught me to deal with both muggles and wizards."_

_"Huh, good then. That will be easier for both of us."_

"Let's go to the point, shall we?" Aviar observed Tony, brought all the documents to sign, and put them on the table. "Here, Mr. Stark, you could sign here," Aviar pointed.

Rhodey stepped beside Tony. "Wait, are you seriously giving a father to sign his unknown son emancipation? How can we know you are not lying?"

"Nothing we will gain with lying about this. Mr. Potter already knew about this since he was 13 years old from his mother's journal. He didn't tell you this because he didn't want to burden you," Aviar said without a hint of emotion on his face.

"Really? I don't think so. I won't sign these without seeing the kid with my own eyes and test his DNA. You could use my signature for your own agenda, framed me or something," Tony said, leaning on a table.

_"Oh, and if he says something like he wants to see me, just tell him I can go for maximum two weeks," Harry said. He flipped a page from his book._

_"Two weeks?"_

_"Yeah. Any problem?"_

" _Well, isn't it too... quick to be something? It's kinda harsh, isn't it?"_

_Harry glanced at Sebastian who was writing for Harry's documents. "Nope, he probably just wants to see if I'm lying or something. Two weeks is enough. And if he truly cared about me, which will be one of the biggest shocks in my life, I will see it in two weeks. You know I don't have time to play the little-good-son game for him."_

" _If he doesn't take it and keeps refusing to sign the petition?" Sebastian asked._

" _If he doesn't take any choice we give, then I will search another way to make myself a legal adult, take the Wizengamot seat."_

_"And if he proves that he really cares?"_

_Harry didn't answer._

"Two weeks. Is that enough?"

"What?" voices echoed.

"Mr. Potter stated that if Mr. Stark wanted it that way, then he could live with him for two weeks. And if you still don't take it, then I will leave."

Two weeks and he gone.

Take it or leave it. The message was damn clear.

That unexpected answer silenced all the people in the room.

"Whoa, whoa, wait a minute. Did you just say Tony can meet his son for only two weeks? Who do you think you are? What if the kid is really his?" Rhodey intervened.

"I'm sorry, but I am under the assumption that Mr. Stark didn't want to take Mr. Potter, right? He only cares about his _extraordinary_ reputation," Sebastian rasped before he took control of himself again. "Sign the paper or take the two weeks offer, Mr. Stark."

"You don't know him," Rhodey interrupted.

"Yes, but I know his reputation."

"If I go to England by myself, talked with him, it will be easier, correct? So why do we need to do this shit? It's not like anyone will complain since I am still his biological father, and I haven't abused him or something," Tony said.

"Yes, but you never be there for him, do you?" Aviar said with a stony face, trying his best to contain his anger.

"How is he supposed to know?!" Pepper exclaimed.

Aviar thinned his lips. "Then he shouldn't have slept with too many women like they are toys then."

Tony froze, he couldn't deny that claim. But never in his life, he saw women as toys.

Aviar felt a rush of satisfaction inside him, seeing Stark's face fell and paled. This is the guy who acted like a superhero while Harry was melancholic for a year straight. He only knew about his biological father from his mother's journal right after Sirius's death. He saw his father - or stepfather now - as an amazing figure, the man who gave up his life for his son and wife. Now he punched with the reality that his parents were like his aunt and uncle told him, an alcoholic and a whore.

"Pepper is right, he didn't know, his lifestyle is not your problem," Rhodey defended his friend.

Tony chuckled, he had enough of this. "If I took him from England, what can this Mr. Potter do anyway? Yes, I am a playboy, but I am not a bastard who will throw away my own son like that, even if the kid asked it himself."

"And if he refuses?" Sebastian asked. He hoped the answer would be something he can use to persuade Harry. As much as he hates Stark, Harry deserves a family. If Stark proves as a decent man, Sebastian will give him a chance. Plus, living thousands of miles from You-Know-Who always is an excellent choice.

Harry will be safe, happy, that if he wants to leave the war. The thought crashed. Who was he kidding? This is Harry Potter, the most stubborn boy alive. He won't leave the war that simple, but at least he will have a family to help him.

Tony stilled, seconds later he said smugly, "Then I will take him anyway, tie him somewhere or something. There is no reason for him to refuse me as a father!" He raised his eyebrows, challenging him to say otherwise. He already decided he will treat him like a prince. His son will have a fantastic life. His son will never need something like emancipation to gain his own money or do dangerous things.

It's not like the kid needed much attention anyway if he counts that the kid is mature enough to get his own solicitor.

Aviar gave him a stony face, his eyes full of anger, sadness, and... disappointment? "And here I thought you would give me a serious answer." He took the documents from the table, organized them back, and stared at Tony for the last time. "If I know you will answer in that way, I will never try to push Harry to even consider living with you."

He walked to the elevator. Before the elevator door closed, he said, "Have a nice evening, Mr. Stark."

Tony stood, surprise plastered on his face.

"Sir, do you want me to stop Mr. Aviar?" Friday's voice broke the silence.

Rhodey and Pepper shot Tony with what-have-you-done look.

"No-no, just told him I agree. I will take my son in for two weeks. After that, I will sign the fucking paper."

A soft touch landed on Tony's arm. "Hey, Tony. Come here." He put his head on Pepper's shoulder. He was a mess. Even his own kid didn't want him.

0-0-0-0-0

Headmaster office Floo Network burst out brilliant green flames. A tall boy came out of the fireplace. His dark messy hair buried half of his lightning bolt scar on his forehead. His eyes weren't covered by round glasses anymore, but sometimes he still liked to wear them, to remind him of James.

"Hello, Harry," Dumbledore welcomed him. Harry nodded in acknowledgment. "Done already with the emancipation business?"

"Almost. I just need Stark's signature. Could you help me with the court? I can't bring this in Wizengamot, it will be too noisy and most will do their best to screw it up."

"Of course, Harry. Tell me when you are ready, and I will schedule it."

Albus watched Harry walk out of his office. His eyes weren't twinkling again, his shoulders slumped, and his mouth twitched down.

Three years ago, he wouldn't believe the idea of the boy losing his innocence in such a short time. Now Albus could only regret his own action. If only he observed him better, none of his horrifying past would happen.

At least Harry grows to be a warrior, not a martyr. That was a little mercy he got.

Harry walked through Hogwarts corridor. Portraits animated from their frames with obvious curiosity, whispering to one another. Harry rolled his eyes. Gossipers.

Harry opened the room of the requirements door. He made sure no one watching him, closed the door behind him with a soft thud.

"Hey, Harry!" Ron said, "How was Order?" Hermione closed her book, marked the page with her finger.

"Fine," Harry replied, "anything new in Hogwarts?"

"Nah, just a regular schedule. Snape became more and more annoying. He took 40 points from Gryffindor today."

"So, how was Order?" Ron asked, "Don't think I didn't notice your attempt to distract us."

Harry smirk. "Well, I kind of unfocused in the meeting, so I only caught the werewolf thing and ministry."

Hermione and Ron watched him with full expectation. "The werewolves demand change in the law so that they will join the Light Side. The ministry declined it. Dumbledore planned to change that. The other members only reported about attacks and Aurors here and there. End of the story." Harry turned and sat on the couch dramatically.

"That is extremely dumb-folded information," Hermione pouted, pressing her lips. She watched Harry sharply as she tried to find something before finally giving up and went back to her book.

"Highly secret," Harry grinned winningly at Hermione.

"Whatever."

"Soooooo, why did you come back long after the meeting ended? Professor Lupin told us you should be in Hogwarts two hours ago," Ron asked. He took his chessboard and organized it for a game in a pitiful attempt to act natural. Harry was never late to come back to Hogwarts, he didn't like to burn the rumor more than whatever it is right now.

"I slept."

"You slept?" Hermione eyed him, more than annoyed. Ron let out a cough that suspiciously sounded like a laugh.

"Yeah, I have an exhausting day," Harry said, crashing his back on the couch.

"Now, let's start the game, shall we?" He asked Ron, tried to forget his father miles away and ridiculous hope for his own happy family. He already had Ron, Hermione, the Weasley family, and Dumbledore. What else he needed anyway?


	2. Chapter 2

Snow colored Hogwarts ground. The sun shone, dark orange light marked the stone wall, and broke through a small opening in the window curtains. A boy slept with a two-way mirror on his bedside table, right beside his half finished homework.

"Harry! I swear, if you still don't answer this, I'm going to ask Jeanette to wake you up," a deep, fed-up voice shrieked. Harry was glad he had a silencing charm up before he slept.

Harry loosened his grips on his pillow, gave some space for his ear to listen. He sighed, his eyelids felt heavy. He should have told Dumbledore to schedule a meeting in sane hours.

Harry pulled his body to sit position, rested his head on his mattress headboard, the mirror from Sirius placed in front of him. "Yes?" he asked while rubbing his half-opened eyes. He could feel his hair sticky, if someone painted a bird's nest with black and put it on Harry's head, it would look the same.

"He agreed, with both living with you for two weeks and signing the document," Sebastian said. Looking at Harry's sleepy look, he pressed his lips to contain his smile.

Harry, oblivious to Sebastian's effort due to his half awake state, yawned, studying his room from one side to the other, making sure everyone was still sleeping. "Great. Dumbledore said to see it as a holiday. But why does it feel like I will hate it?"

"He acted like a decent human being yesterday, or at least half of decent. A bit arrogant, but I believe it's genetic."

"I am not arrogant!"

"Of course," Sebastian said mockingly.

"Whatever. Sebastian, the guy who makes fake ID -Godric, I forget his name-"

"Falsarius," Sebastian reminded.

"Yes, Falsarius. I want to meet him on Saturday. I need fake identities later in New York. I don't want to stay in Stark's place all day. Oh, and I already paid you last night. Feel free to check your vault." From the way Sebastian talked about him, the guy sounded like he could be trusted and had a lot of experience in his field.

"Muggle or magical identity?" Sebastian asked, didn't give a damn of Harry's last sentence.

"Both. I want to make sure I could use my wand in America, just in case nasty thing happens. Just make a thirty something old traveler who came to America, both in muggle and magical identity." Sebastian gave him an it-is-not-that-easy-you-moron look, but Harry didn't mind it, he continued, "I don't want to cause Daily Prophet and American people freak out with me coming to their country. I think that are the important parts. I will discuss it more with the guy on Sunday."

Sebastian watched with narrowed eyes. "Wait, why the hell didn't you make this long ago? I thought you already went to another country. What did you use? Muggle plane?"

"Language," Harry teased, "I use another ID. IDs, to be precise. You don't need to know about it," Harry said. With that, he closed the call and got up from his bed, pulled his arms upward to stretch his stiff body.

Harry caught Ron moving, to other people maybe the move looked like an accidental one when you slept, but living with Ron for five years and his sharpened senses made Harry know that Ron was awake. As Harry approached the door, Ron opened his mouth, "Harry, where are you going to in this ungodly hour?" He shook his head repeatedly to clear his vision.

He turned to face Ron. "Training?" Harry said, made up an excuse.

"Is that an answer or a question?"

"Answer."

"Make sure you remember to come back before breakfast or Hermione will go rampage." Ron dropped his head back to his pillow. Went back to sleep.

Harry threw his right hand up to the tip between his eyebrow and eye, making a salute. "Yes, sir."

A low snort came from Ron's bed.

0-0-0-0-0

Sharp crack filled the quiet night. Two figures appeared out of nowhere on a broad, empty street. Dim street light creating two shadows of the two figures who were there for seconds.

"He lives here? I don't think this place is healthy. It gives me goosebumps," Harry murmured. He studied the street. It gave a lifeless impression, old houses of various sizes lined up on the street side. The other side didn't look any better, tall, coarse, dry grass filled it. Dead trees stood in random spots, determined to scare the crap out of people around them.

Harry observed Sebastian's confused figure. "Uh, he really lives here, right?"

"Yes, Harry, the door should be around here." Sebastian laid a finger on a dusty brick wall.

"Wait, what do you mean by that?" Harry said, snapped his attention to Sebastian.

As though it heard Harry, the stacked bricks suddenly pushed each other, splitting the wall, creating a tiny passage for a person to enter. The stone wall inside had green shades of moss. At the end of the passage, two medieval style lanterns hung, an intimidating iron door emerged in the middle of them.

Sebastian smirked at Harry's flabbergasted expression.

"What the- you know what? I don't even know why I was surprised. Trust wizards to make a dramatic secret door." Harry rolled his eyes, annoyed. He stepped on a scratched black-painted stone floor.

"It isn't that bad," Sebastian told Harry, clearly amused. He followed behind Harry, caught a brief glimpse when the open space behind them shut.

"Yeah, right, he gives people an address and lets people poke the wall. A muggle could accidentally press the secret button and boom. The wall split, the muggle faint, Obliviators come, instant Daily Prophet front page." _Wizards and their logic_ , Harry thought.

"He changes the address regularly," Sebastian said with an uncertain voice. He stopped to consider it for a moment, then sighed. "Okay... if you put it in that way, the secret door thing sounds stupid."

Harry pushed the door, earned a loud creak from the floor. He had to put more pressure than normal doors when he tried to open it. An old man was sitting with a cup of tea halfway to his mouth. His wide pale eyes moved to Harry and Sebastian's direction in delight, lips curled upward. "Ah, Mr. Potter, Mr. Aviar! Come, you may sit there," said a Falsarius, pointed to two wooden chairs with his hand.

Harry glanced at Sebastian before he took a seat.

"So, Mr. Potter, Mr. Aviar already asked me to prepare for two orders, one in the muggle version, one in the magical version," He waved his wand, a parchment appeared and a quill. "From your preference, it will cost," Falsarius said, his quill moved on the parchment. His lips twitched, "2050 galleons."

Harry's eyebrows shot upward questioningly. "I need to register this not only to the British Ministry of Magic, but also the MACUSA. It's only fair if the price is high."

Sighing, Harry looked at Falsarius. "No way to change your mind?"

Falsarius focused on Harry. "No, Mr. Potter. If this makes you feel better, I am loyal to my clients, if they already pay of course. There are reasons my service is costly, my secrecy is one of them," He gave Harry a meaningful look, reminding Harry of the first time he met Ollivander, the way he told Harry he is going to do great things. Like Ollivander, Falsarius had the glint in his eyes that almost made Harry shivered, but he wasn't eleven years old, he kept a steady gaze.

Harry could feel Sebastian's hard stare on him. He considered using legilimency to the man. The thought went as fast as it came. His skill was still easy to detect for intermediate occlumens, he couldn't risk it. "Fine," Harry said sourly.

"Are we done here?" Sebastian asked.

"Yeah, let's go back." Sebastian jumped to his feet, followed by Harry.

"I don't like him. He basically robbed your money. He never charged that high before," Sebastian grumbled on their way out.

"I believe the feeling is mutual. And no, I don't think he robbed me. Others probably demand 3000 galleons or more after seeing me as their client. As long as he does a great job at it, I don't mind him taking that much money from me." Harry swung his hands as he walked. Now he only had to think how he would spend his time with Stark. He could bring his books and transfigure their cover to something more common in the muggle world. Except if Stark had a way to monitor him without his knowing.

"You really trust him to not sell you to You-Know-Who? You don't even know his first name!" Sebastian said, watching Harry with curiosity. He stretched out his hand, giving Harry space for Side-Along Apparition.

Harry took Sebastian's hand as he answered, "You don't know if 'Falsarius' is his first or last name, yet you still bring me there."

They apparated back to Sebastian's house. "Point taken, you don't want to have dinner first before going back to Hogwarts?" Sebastian offered.

"No, thanks. I will ask the house elves to bring me food. Hermione and Ron are most likely going to give me a lecture if I don't come back right now and get caught sneaking out."

Sebastian grinned widely. "Alright, have fun, Harry."

Harry gave Sebastian a slight hand wave before his body sucked down by green fire. He landed in a familiar fireplace, his head knocked by something hard when he tried to raise it.

Harry blinked his eyes to clear his vision. The Gryffindor Common Room was as bright as usual, even with only three students in it. Hermione and Ron were sitting on squashy armchairs near the large fireplace. Hermione closed her book at the sight of Harry stumbled out of the fireplace. "What makes you come back so late?" Hermione scowled.

"I only go out for 30 minutes!" Harry tried to defend himself. He opened his winter cloak, folded it in his hand. He sat on one armchair, trying his best to be comfortable.

"Mate, you went out for 30 minutes at 11 o'clock at night."

Harry glared at Ron. He didn't need a reminder. The only reason he sneaked out was because he didn't want this scenario to happen. "Come on, it's not like I go out hunting some death eaters or something."

Hermione huffed. "You will go out hunting them if you have a chance anyway. What did you do now?"

"Dinner with Sebastian," Harry lied without much effort.

Ron glared at Harry as if he could read Harry's mind. He stumped his foot. "Stop lying!" Ron screamed, his voice echoed in Harry's mind, building guilt in his chest.

"We understand you have to do this super secret business, but we are your best friends! We tried, we really were, to act normal, act like nothing happened when we knew you could be hurt out there or worse, killed. We tried to treat you like a normal friend, to make you comfortable in Hogwarts, but your lies make it damn hard!" Ron said, almost screamed again, his face flushed red. Realizing his volume, he took a deep breath, wheeled around on his heel. He was looking at the wall while trying to calm himself down.

Hermione sighed, looking at Harry as if he was a naughty little boy. "Ron is right, we can't help you if you wouldn't let us."

Harry rubbed his temple. "Sorry, guys, but I can't," Hermione jumped to her feet, Harry winced and continued immediately, "I mean, there are too many things I can't tell you, they only put you in more danger-"

"Like your biological father?" Ron blurted before he could stop his mouth.

Harry snapped his head at Ron's direction, he blinked. "What?" How could he know that? Feeling the tension in the room, Harry could feel this talk wouldn't end well, he casted the most powerful Muffliato he could without his wand, he didn't want to lose control and woke the others Gryffindors or McGonagall.

"Will that information put us in danger?" Hermione asked with an icy stare, resisting the temptation to shout. Harry had put them in the dark for far too long, they felt like acquaintances rather than friends in this state.

Harry looked at two of his friends. The friends who always stood at his side, no matter how annoying he could be with all his secrecies. "Yes."

Hermione threw her book, she let go an angry groan, "Harry, you act like you need to shield us from everything out there. We choose for ourselves! We know the risk we took the moment we kept our friendship with you!" Ron nodded sharply.

He knew that, he knew his friends took a great risk for him. He knew Death Eaters targeted them because of him. Harry couldn't live with himself if something happened to them.

Sirius' face flashed inside Harry's mind. The way his life drained from his face, his body limped and fell. How he could only kneel there, chained, and screaming. Voldemort with his wand raised, laughing maniacally. His traitorous mind pictured Ron and Hermione in that position.

"No, you don't know the risk," Harry whispered, his voice was far too quiet from how he intended. He clenched his jaw, trying to close his emotions that tore his Occlumency down.

Ron took a deep breath, he lost it. "We-"

"NO, YOU DON'T!" Harry roared. Ron and Hermione jumped in surprised. Why can't they understand?!

Harry felt rage leaped inside him. Feeling fire licking every side of his chest, polluted his mind.

"Harry-" Hermione tried to talk, her vision blurred with tears.

Harry felt his body shaking, his throat burned, his head spinning. He curled his fist, tried to stop his trembling arm. Before he knew it he shouted, "YOU DON'T KNOW HOW IT FELT TO SLEEP WITH FEAR HOW THE SITUATION WILL TURN OUT! YOU DON'T KNOW HOW IT FELT WHEN YOU KNOW VOLDEMORT TORTURE, KILL MORE AND MORE PEOPLE OUT THERE EVERY SECOND YOU WASTE! YOU DON'T KNOW IT, DO YOU?!"

Hermione took a step back. She choked back sobs, both her hands on her mouth. Ron stood, stunned, his lips parted, loss for anything to say. A sound of cracked glass in his pocket echoed through the room, snapping Harry back to his consciousness. Accidental magic, him? After all the training he got, after every occlumency lessons he got from Severus? "I-I didn't mean to… Oh, Merlin, I'm sorry. I-" Harry couldn't bring himself to look at his friends, he ran back to his room like a coward.

0-0-0-0-0

It was a calm evening in the Avengers Headquarters. All the official Avengers sat in a cozy lounge. The windows opened, bringing fresh air to the room. Though it meant little for Tony.

"Pepper, do you think the kid wanted to live here or in my mansion?" Tony asked, pacing around the lounge.

Vision joined the tip of his ten fingers lightly, acting like he was a scientist in deep thought. "From what James told me," he said, pointing his hand in graceful motion at Rhodey. "The kid sounded like he tried his best to get away from you." Pepper choked her drink at Vision's blunt words while Rhodey was hiding his laugh with a cough. _Thank you, Vision, very helpful_ , Tony thought.

"That means he doesn't want the press to know about his existence. Better bring him to your mansion," he finished. Looking at Tony with an innocently expecting expression. Tony pulled a strained smile, tried his best to pretend he didn't hear the 'his kid doesn't want to be with him' part.

Thinking Vision's word for a moment, Tony asked hesitantly, "Do you think that's what makes him want emancipation?" If that was the problem, Tony could arrange it, maybe bring him to a secured place. His last name hadn't been Stark, so it wouldn't be hard. He could go to school near the New Avengers Facility, no one would suspect him to be Tony's.

"Tony, we had discussed this. The kid probably has his own agenda. We will know it when we meet him, and maybe we could help him." Pepper said, sounding exasperated. Tony had hard times imagining what a 15 years olds agenda was that he needed emancipation. But then Tony looked at her, her gaze made Tony felt his heart lift a bit, a step ready to meet his boy.

"Right. My mansion then." He clapped his hands.

Tony organized everything in his head. _A place to live, check. Making sure those old small-minded politicians never know about his son's existence, check._

"Now, the room color."

"Tony, don't you think the kid wants to choose it by himself?" Pepper interrupted.

Rhodey leaned, relaxing his back. He never expected he would ever see the day Tony Stark act in this manner. Looking worried, asking random questions, genuinely didn't have any idea what to do. He almost thought Tony would take the kid, bought him a house near to him, and acted as nothing happened. "Why do you do all of this?" he asked, tilted his head.

A second later he answered without hesitation, "He is my kid." There was a long silence, the room temperature suddenly dropped, everyone froze, couldn't react to Tony's statement. Rhodey lowered his gaze before he lifted it again. "Who are you and what have you done to Tony Stark?" he asked with a snort of amusement.

Tony folded his hands at his chest, looking directly to Rhodey without a blink. "Do you really think I am that irresponsible?" He moved his eyes to the other people in the room.

Rhodey raised both his hands in surrender, twitched the end of his lips. "No, it just… weird to see you acting like that."

"Act like I don't know what to do?" Tony asked his friend with a laugh that sounded hollow and empty. He supported his body with both his hands pressed against the table. "Yeah, right now I am at a loss of what to do. What will you do when you have a kid you never meet who doesn't want to live with you and wants emancipation?"

"He wants you," Vision said, a note of concern in his voice, "he just needs time to know you, to understand you."

What if the kid still hated him when he understood more about Tony? What would he do if the two weeks ended and he lost his son? Tony squashed his eyes, lowered his head, facing the table. He couldn't handle the kid -Harry, he reminded himself-, the Accords, and the divided Avengers. Feeling his head became heavier, he walked out of the room, he needed time alone.


	3. Chapter 3

Harry woke up for the thirteenth time. It was 4 a.m. and he couldn't sleep, those words sounded pathetic for him. If Voldemort was still playing around with his mind, then it wouldn't be a surprise, but now, he couldn't sleep because he had a problem with his best friends. How absurd was that?

Three weeks had passed after he lost control in the common room. He couldn't look at their faces after the last encounter, unsurprisingly they were getting weird looks from other students and professors.

This was the last day Harry got in Hogwarts before Christmas break. After breakfast, he had to take the Hogwarts Express and stay with Stark for two weeks. Before that, he wanted to fix this. He couldn't act friendly like Dumbledore wanted if this problem with Ron and Hermione messing with his head.

He looked at Ron, he slept like a hibernating bear, with no burden. Harry shut his eyes. His heart ached thinking what he could bring to his friends.

As though wanting to snap Harry out of his thoughts, a large silver Patronus in the shape of a lynx came through the wall, racing directly to Harry. Graceful and gleaming, it landed and stood two inches from Harry's bed. The Patronus opened its mouth wide. Kingsley's controlled voice said, "Harry, Diagon Alley is under attack. We need you, use the Gryffindor fireplace, ASAP." Then it vanished as Harry jumped to his feet. His roommates were still asleep, thanks to Harry's Silencing Charm.

Wasting no time, he put on his basilisk skin armor and wand in his arm holster. Thinking he would need healing potions, he took his trunk with Shrinking Charm on it.

Didn't want to wake his friends, Harry opened the door slowly, unfortunately, Ron had a sensitive ear. He groaned, rose with his left elbow, and frowned at Harry's sight, standing at the half-opened door. "Harry, what are you doing?" Ron asked with concern in his voice.

"Just go to bed, Ron!" Harry commanded, not sparing Ron a glance. Ron gaped at the closed door where Harry had just been. Harry's alarmed face replaying in his mind numerous times. He knew their friendship had been strained lately, but he didn't expect that reaction.

Harry threw himself to Gryffindor's fireplace, hurled Floo powder to his feet, and said his destination, Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. Fred and George agreed to connect their joke shop with the Floo network for emergencies. "Harry funded it anyway," they once said to Dumbledore without hesitation.

Gryffindor common room twisted, everything covered with green shade. Harry blinked repeatedly until his vision cleared. The common room vanished, changed into the joke shop. From the windows, Harry saw Kingsley, Tonks, and Charlie drew their wands, shooting spell after spell to Death Eaters while Bill and Remus were creating protego to shield civilians.

There were screams, people tried to apparate, but the Anti-Disapparition Jinx blocked them. Harry saw blurry figures of a couple running to Aurors who were leading people out of fire and at least sixteen figures with Death Eater's robes.

Seeing his side was outnumbered, Harry sprinted out of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes shop, he cast Blasting Curse in the middle of four Death Eaters. The effect was instantaneous, a Death Eater blew up, the force slammed the others to Madam Malkin's front glass, shattering it, knocking two mannequins inside. The sound of it attracted attention from everyone in the field.

"That's Potter!" a hoarse voice shouted. Harry cursed under his breath when five Death Eaters focused their attack at him. Flicking his wand, Harry blocked the curses with nonverbal protego. In a split second, Harry thought _Wingardium Leviosa_ , waving his wand in controlled motion. Madam Malkin's shattered glasses flew up, Harry steered them to Death Eaters. All five Death Eaters dropped with howls of pain.

Seeing Death Eaters targeting civilians, Harry created a shield for Aurors, giving them time to secure people to a warded building. An Auror nodded at Harry's direction, thankful.

"Expulso," bellowed a Death Eater behind him. Before Harry could turn around, a burst of blue light hit Harry's back. It didn't throw him off, but it still made Harry lose his balance, enough to slip his wand out of his hand. The second curse thrust Harry's back without giving Harry time to recover, crashing him to a shop. Harry's unprotected cheek slit deep by a flake of wood.

There was a loud bang and the bookshelf behind him crumbled, the books in it dropped. Harry threw his body sideways, summoned his wand. Footsteps came from the gaping hole on the wall. Instinctively, Harry drew his wand.

"Harry, you okay there?" a familiar voice asked.

Harry lowered his wand, sighed in relief. "I'm fine, just a scratch."

Charlie jogged to his side. Harry declined Charlie's offered arm and stood by himself, walked out the shop that now could easily pass as a dust shop. A sting of guilt hit his chest, it faded away when Harry realized the fight wasn't over. He hurried forward to help, then he stopped. The Death Eaters bound with ropes and Aurors came. In front Flourish and Blotts Remus stunned a Death Eater who wanted to run away, another Death Eater flew away with something like a sack in his arm. Harry was too exhausted to think about it, he hoped the owner wouldn't blame him or the Aurors.

"That was fast," Harry commented.

"Why did they attack here? And why don't you call Dumbledore or the other Order member?" Harry asked Charlie. He and the Order knew Voldemort never attacked without a reason. That or Death Eaters just wanted to please their master, which effectively disgusted Harry.

Charlie shrugged. "We don't know what their intention was. We couldn't contact Dumbledore, he is in the middle of Wizengamot hearing and the Floo network didn't work for other places except for Hogwarts." Now that sounded weird. "We contacted Percy, but he said nothing weird happened in the Ministry. He seemed certain the Ministry had nothing to do with the Floo Network blocking."

Harry and Charlie shared the same glance for three seconds. They seemed to want to talk, but their tongues tied. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Charlie asked first.

"A distraction."

Charlie sighed in defeat. "The question is, for what?"

"No idea." Harry ruffled his hair.

Charlie nodded. "I will tell Dumbledore about this later. You could come back to Hogwarts now, no need to worry about the report, give that part to Tonks and Kingsley." Charlie darted his eyes to Harry's cheek. "And you need to clean that too." He indicated Harry's cut on cheek with a nod.

"Uh-huh, I guess I will go before reporters come," Harry said, summoning his wands. He saw Bill finish talking with Aurors. "Or, I will have a little chat before I go."

"Do whatever you want, Harry, today you are the hero." Charlie patted his shoulder, chuckled at Harry's irritated look.

"Hey, fancy seeing you here," Bill greeted.

"We can get into the Daily Prophet, freaking mum in the morning," Bill continued.

"Ohhh, I can imagine the headline right now, 'Harry Potter's Sidekicks!'" Charlie laughed with a paltry amount of breath in his lung.

"Yep, but first, you two need a bath. You smell like a hippogriff." Harry smirked at their offended looks. Harry jogged to the twin's joke shop before they could answer or yell. He took a quick view across Diagon Alley, but he couldn't find Remus. Felt a pang of disappointment, he got into the fireplace and threw the Floo powder, went back to Hogwarts.

Harry didn't come back to his room, instead, he went to the kitchen. He needed breakfast after the fight and a place to rest before he could fix the situation. House elves weren't poor companions, not counting when they worshiped him.

0-0-0-0-0

Hermione sat anxiously. She kept peeking through the window, searching for Harry. Ron told her Harry had been out since morning. What if something happened? The Order or Dumbledore didn't say anything, making her wonder if they would tell them Harry injured or- she didn't want to think about it- later.

She looked at Ron. Ron wasn't different from Hermione, fidgeting in his seat, trying to look outside from the window. His chin on one hand, mouth twitched every two minutes or so.

"Dear Merlin, I will punch Harry's face if he shows up with a stupid sentence like, "Oh hi! Sorry to make you worry, I slept." I mean, seriously? Of all stupid excuses, he came out with he slept?" Hermione muttered. She still remembered the idiotic excuse Harry came up with in the Room of Requirement.

Ron chuckled. "What can I say, his name is Harry Potter. I will be shocked if he followed the rule, let alone listening to other people," he said in a low, tired voice, Hermione almost couldn't catch what Ron said.

"That's the problem! He shouldn't go out and give us heart attacks every time he comes back! We already have OWL, if Harry adds it with this, I'm going gray early!"

Three knock sounds came from their compartment door. It slid open, revealing Harry with his usual messy hair, a stupid grin on his face, and a deep cut on his cheek. "Hey, guys," he said nervously, as if he expected Ron and Hermione would start yelling at him.

Indeed, he was right. "Hey? Hey?! You've made us worried sick and you come with a 'hey'? Harry James Potter, you are the most aggravating, troublesome, annoying person I've ever met!" Hermione shrieked. For once, Ron was glad he wasn't in Harry's position.

"Blimey, what happened to your face? Have a fight with Crookshanks?" Ron tried to joke, pitied Harry's situation.

Harry touched his wound with his finger. "Ah, this is not important right now." He stepped inside their compartment with a stumble. He slid his backpack handler out of his shoulder slowly, trying to get some time to think what he would say.

He faced his friends for the first time in three weeks. "Umm, I want to say sorry about… shouting at two of you. It was uncalled for." Ron nodded awkwardly while Hermione stared at Harry like he grew another head.

"Right, want to talk about what happened in Diagon Alley? Everyone knows about it now!" Ron said enthusiastically to lighten the mood.

"I know I was being a- wait what?" Harry said, "Just like that? No screaming? Nothing?"

"What did you expect? Dramatic forgiveness? If you want that, then go find Dumbledore or Shakespeare," Hermione said. She took a book from her bag, opened it on her lap, and started reading. Harry heard a soft, "Who is Shakespeare" from Ron.

"If I knew you would react that way, I should have done it earlier," Harry complained.

Ron rolled his eyes. "You are a complete idiot, Harry."

Harry sighed, "Yeah, I guess I am." He rubbed his forehead. "Merlin, I spent nights thinking how I will tell you I'm sorry."

Ron snorted. "So, anything else?" Hermione asked while reading.

"Uhm, my father is Tony Stark?" Harry looked at his shoes when Hermione dropped her book, open mouthed. Her face paled as a sheet. Ron darted his eyes from Harry to Hermione and back to Harry, confused. Both Hermione and Ron looked lost, for completely different reasons.

"Please tell me you are joking," Hermione moaned. She swung her head, slamming it on her seat headrest.

"Nope," Harry said automatically, "Why do you think I hide it, especially from you?"

"I thought you were embarrassed! I never once thought you would have _the_ Tony Stark as a father!"

"Guys, I don't understand it. What do you mean by your father is Tony Stark? Why do two of you look like someone just punched your faces? I-I completely lost here!" Ron stuttered miserably.

"Tony Stark is a muggle," Hermione said with a hint of frustration in her voice.

"And?"

"And he is basically Harry in muggle version! Every muggle knows his name and he is a superhero." Hermione threw her hands to her face.

"Ouch." Ron looked at Harry with sympathy. "You got crap you need to take care of."

"There is more," Harry said. He bowed his head slightly, reminding Ron of Percy when mum caught him doing something forbidden. Hermione snapped her head to Harry. "What?" she demanded.

"I will live with him for two weeks."

Hermione watched him for achingly long three seconds. "That's… not too bad."

Harry raised his head in neck-breaking speed. "No, it's totally bad! I mean, come on, you know his reputation. He's going to make me nuts in two weeks," Harry exclaimed.

"He's your father," Hermione said as though it explained everything.

"That's even worse," Harry grumbled.

Couldn't stop himself, Ron asked about Diagon Alley (again). Harry answered it, pretended he forgot the details. They then talked about Quidditch, leaving Hermione with her books. They never asked what was inside Harry's pocket that made him check it again and again.

0-0-0-0-0

Harry checked his watch. Stark or his people should pick him up by now. He took Dumbledore's note from his pocket that Dumbledore sent with an owl, complete with a "Practical Way to Hide Your Weapons and Armour from Muggles" book to make him busy, a jar of cookies, and a farewell note. If Harry didn't know better, he would think Dumbledore wanted him gone. What kind of man would send a military book to 15 years old when he was going to meet his father? Though the cookies tasted nice.

After a long wait that made his legs stiff, he decided to wait in a Starbuck. Pulling his suitcase with a strained sound on the rough road surface, Harry thought about Stark. From the Daily Prophet, he learned the press loved to make sensational stories, without thinking twice about the consequences. He hoped this Tony Stark was different from what he read, or Merlin helped him, he would lock himself in his room for two weeks.

The muggles were busy, was the first thought that came to Harry's mind. People walked with gigantic steps around him when he entered the cafe. He pulled down his hoodie, covered half of his face, didn't care if he looked spooky. It wasn't funny if a muggleborn recognized him. Harry took a seat and ordered a drink.

Harold spotted the kid, he wore a black hoodie with a casual dark blue jean. He had Tony's face, a bit different in his lips, but that's it. Surprisingly, he had a well-built body and was tall for his age. A faint scar on his forehead, or at least that what he could see from where he stood. Harold's breath caught at his eyes, his bright green eyes screamed vigilance, scanning his surroundings like a hawk. His body tensed when he saw people walking around him, ready to attack at any moment.

Tony asked him to make sure the kid came to New York safely. He didn't want the kid overwhelmed by reporters if Tony himself came to pick him up. The first time he heard Tony frustrated about the kid, he imagined a spoiled trouble-maker boy who wanted emancipation so that he could freely join a biker gang or go out doing something equally foolish. Now he wanted to slap himself for thinking that way.

Harold gulped, shook his head, he wiped his silly suspicion. The kid was just fifteen, and Tony's kid at that.

He approached the kid. "You are Harry Potter?" Harry turned his head to face Harold. The kid smiled. The smile didn't get up to his eyes. Fake.

"Yes, and you are?" he asked, his eyes moving across Harold's face, trying to get as much as he could in a short time.

"Harold Hogan, Tony's personal chauffeur."

Harry nodded. Harold could see the way his focus never cracked even for a second. He moved in a careful demeanor.

Noticing the way Hogan looked at him, Harry relaxed his posture. He couldn't afford making Hogan suspicious now. Harry offered Hogan his right hand, smiled, making sure this time the smile mirrored in his eyes and features. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Hogan."

Hogan startled, took his hand. "You… are so different from your father, in manner."

"Ah, yes, in case you forget, he never raised me." Harry kept his warm smile and calm face, even when Hogan gave him a piercing stare.

"Yes, what a pity."

Harry didn't react at Hogan's insult. "Where are we going from now?" Harry asked. He honestly felt like was handling a crying seven years old with his toy stolen. It was clear Hogan felt uncomfortable around Harry, even though he only met him for five minutes.

"Malibu," Hogan answered with no sort of explanation. What's wrong with this guy?

Hogan brought Harry to a jet with large "Stark Industries" plastered on its side. The machine in it didn't make any sound. Harry sat on a fancy seat, Hogan in front of him, looking suspicious.

"You don't look surprised," Hogan commented.

"Should I?" Harry asked back.

"The last time I got into this jet with a kid, he ranted without care of commas or full stops."

Harry pulled one edge of his lips. The kid Hogan talked about sounded like Ron or Mr. Weasley if he saw the plane. "I already expected Stark to have a private jet, he is extremely rich after all."

Hogan snorted. He continued watching every move Harry made, making Harry thought of Death Eater. No, he couldn't think about it in here, now. Holiday, he reminded himself.

Harry, determined to ignore Hogan completely, focused on the book Dumbledore gave him. He transfigured it to a science fiction book he used to read in the school library when he could get away from Dudley and his gang. Harry hated to admit it, but the book was pretty good. _How in Godric's name Dumbledore know I'm going to like it?_ Another thing to add to the list of questions he had to ask Dumbledore.

Contrary to his books, the flight was boring. Seeing nothing interesting from Harry, Hogan finally gave up and switched his seat with the one behind. Snoring loudly while he was sleeping, forcing Harry to cast a Silencing Charm on his mouth.

Feeling the plane took a sharp direction down, Harry checked from the window. He saw a pretty odd view. There were towering plates at the end of a cliff. The sea below it looked like a giant blue blanket, calm, curvy on the surface. When the plane was about to land, he realized the plates he saw before were the roof of a futuristic building, with an extensive amount of windows, as though they wanted to show the world what was inside it.

Suddenly awake, Hogan led Harry out, bringing Harry's luggage in both of his arms. Harry cast a silent Disillusionment Charm on his fake ID, dagger, spell books, parchments, and quills. Constant Vigilance, Alastor's roughly snarled in his mind. Disillusionment Charm didn't change the weight, Harry nearly impressed how easily Hogan lifted it.

For the first time since he departed, Harry could stretch his body. He smelled faint salt from the sea. Wind ruffling his hair, he saw Stark approaching him. He put his arm on the end of his suit, walked down the front stairs with small jumps in his steps, acted like a hyperactive kid.

Stark spread his hands grandly. "Look who we have here." He embraced Harry's shoulder, much to Harry's annoyance. "Hey, Harry. Have a pleasant flight? Wait, actually, don't answer that, I know flying for a long time in that bloody plane was fantastically boring." Harry chuckled at that, at least Stark had a good taste, though he still didn't like how Stark put his hand on Harry's shoulder.

Stark looked pleased when he saw Harry laugh. "Come, I want to show you something," he said. Harry let Stark lead him to the back of the house. Stark skipped the introduction to every room they walked through completely.

"Tadaa," Stark sang.

At first Harry was confused, he could only see a swimming pool. Yes Stark was rich, so what? Then he moved his eyes to the view beside the mountain. Harry's jaw dropped and his breath stopped when he realized how beautiful it was. The wave banging at the hill. Light from the moon created a white bridge on the sea. Glimmered like jewels, the stars looked like they were stamped on the water surface. Harry touched the glass that limited his view. It was the view no wizard could copy, no matter how talented they were.

Harry could see Stark's smirk when Harry looked at it with awe.

"You like it?" Stark asked in an arrogant tone, reminding Harry of Draco Malfoy.

Harry tried to give a warm, wide smile, but in the end, he could only manage a soft one. "Yeah, it's good," Harry said, couldn't put away a drop of venom in his voice. Stark's shoulders dropped slightly. He didn't give up though, Harry gave him that.

"Want to eat first? Must be tiring flying for 7 hours, and even I have to admit, the food in the jet tastes horrible."

"I would love to, Mr. Stark."

Stark froze for a moment before he gained his composure back. "Just Tony, Mr. Stark makes me feel old," he said with an uneasy chuckle.

Harry found himself sitting beside Stark with a grilled steak on his plate. Stark had been a pleasant companion until now. He chose his words carefully, Harry appreciated that.

"So, Harry, what was your hobby?" he asked with a half-way fork.

"I enjoy reading books," Harry said simply. It wasn't a lie, he really liked it, just not as obsessed as Hermione.

"Science?"

"Yes, and I love sci-fi too."

"Oh, that's reminded me of something, let's see if you get my brain or not," Stark said, glancing over his shoulder, "FRIDAY, checked Harry's school report."

"Yes, sir." Harry's blood ran cold. He forced his body to keep in place, mind hurling around Stark's order and the female Irish voice. Artificial Intelligence, Harry tasted the words in his mind. Stark had a way to spy on Harry without him knowing. Oh, great.

Pressing his mind to stay calm, Harry merely stared at Stark as he moved his hand to see Harry's school record.

Harry needed to search a way to disabled 'FRIDAY', and fast. What if the Order needed help and FRIDAY still watching him? That would be positively 100% disaster.

Harry had no plan to be arrested by MACUSA either because he exposed magic to the influential person like Stark. Since MACUSA was stricter than British Ministry of Magic, and Underage Magic law wasn't an option for him, they would treat him as an adult. Put in a cell and his wand snapped would only make him an easy target for Voldemort and his servants. He could only travel this far because Dumbledore believes he could take care of himself. Plus the emergency portkey.

"Wow, some grades you have there, Harry."

Harry snapped his head to the Stark's monitor (hologram?). It looked like blue half-transparency glass. There was his picture in a class photo, he stood beside Ron and Hermione. A photo of him taking the school award and him with the school basketball team (it actually a Quidditch team). Dumbledore changed all his photos and information from Hogwarts to fit in the muggle world. How he did it would be forever a mystery for Harry.

Below it there were his scores in various subjects. He excels in every subject, except history. All thanks went to Professor Binns. In Harry's defense, he had no time to self-study like Hermione did.

"Not a fan of history?" Stark asked Harry with a grin.

"The teacher sucks."

Stark looked far from convinced. "Uh-huh."

Feeling he needed time to think about FRIDAY, he pushed his plate. "I haven't slept on the plane. A good night's sleep would be nice," Harry said.

Stark looked like Christmas had come early. "Let me show you your room."

Stark got up to his feet, leading Harry through his enormous house. It took all his skill for Harry to keep a straight face when he saw how rich Stark was. He imagined maybe his Potter Manor was as big as this. Though that one went to dust after the Death Eaters attacked James's parents.

"Here is your room." Harry took a look. For a second Harry thought it was his room in Gryffindor tower, but then he saw only a bed. The room was colored with scarlet and gold. Stepping inside, Harry could feel how big the room was. It would be 8 seconds for him to walk from one side to another. He could never hope he got from the Dursley. For the second time in that day, Harry stood open-mouthed. That was a record.

"Thank you." Stark wasn't that bad. He would survive the two weeks. The only thing he needed to think of was FRIDAY, then he could relax before he jumped back to Britain.

"You're welcome, kid."

0-0-0-0-0

"What's up with that grin?"

"Pepper, I can't believe it went so smooth." Tony lifted a drink from the fridge below the table, took a sip in triumph.

"The kid?"

"Yeah! Ha, I know it. I am the best." Tony felt the weight in his chest lifted up. Harry's sudden friendliness puzzled him, he didn't expect the kid to be that friendly. The kid threw an emancipation petition to his face for God Sake! It was bugging his mind a little. No matter, he impressed the kid twice. It would be easy to throw away the emancipation business from the kid's head.


	4. Chapter 4

A flock of birds chirped, golden light glimmered on their feathers. They glided following a clement wind before they landed on tree branches. One of them wasn't satisfied by the tree branch, it flew away, leaned on an opened window.

"Tony, close the window, I'm not a fan of birds," a gentle voice said.

A man waved his hand and FRIDAY feminine voice broke in, "Yes, sir."

In a room, there were four people around a white square table, three sat on tall stools, one stood making a coffee, back facing his companions.

Something burning his back, Tony felt it. "Don't look at me like that." He turned his head so he could see Rhodey at the corner of his left eye. "The kid is friendly, or at least he was yesterday."

"I don't buy it," Rhodey huffed. He remembered the way his solicitor talked. Probably the kid was more cautious.

"Oh, come on, he isn't some kind of alien in disguise," Tony argued back, supporting his body with his elbow pressed against a table.

"Tony, I know you already have the Accords to stressed about, but the kid just sounded suspicious."

"What do you suggest?" Tony said, his voice hoarse, "Sign the damn paper? He is just a boy, Rhodey." He clinked a small spoon roughly on the tip of the round cup.

Rhodey didn't say a word, so were Pepper and Vision. The icy silence touched their skins, the wind hissing from windows as though it dared anyone to start a conversation.

Tony blew on his hot coffee, took a sip when the coffee smoke smoothed, enjoying the bitter taste in his mouth. It helped him think clearer.

The paternity test came out as positive and he acted like every normal would, he freaked out at first. Then Pepper came to save the day, told him it will be fine, etc., etc.

Tony let go a sigh. He knew he had a long way to go. He saw Harry gave him meaningless smiles, but his awe yesterday was real. Show a little more kindness and he would get the kid. After he improved the Accords and Vision's place was safe, he will bond with his son. Until then, making sure the kid still with him was all he needed to do.

A person entered the room, but Tony couldn't hear any step. Curious, he glanced over his shoulder. The person was his son. Harry's hair looked messier than ever (technically Tony only met him for a day), hands stayed at their places while walking.

"Good morning," Harry said in a clear voice. Tony slightly astonished Harry could make that kind of sound considering the sun just rose minutes ago.

"Morning," Tony answered with a nod.

Vision tilted his head, looking at Harry like he was a fascinating puzzle. Rhodey, he set a neutral face, his gaze was a different matter. It was sharp, not surprising considering his job, but seriously? Harry was a child. Thank God Pepper pulled a brilliant, welcoming smile before she nudged Rhodey, giving him a warning glare.

"Hey, you must be Harry. Nice to meet you, I'm Pepper Potts."

Harry gave his own small smile. "Hello," he said, walking toward her to shake her hand.

Seeing no one who introduced themselves, not even Vision, Pepper tightened her smile. Tony looked like he wanted to punch Rhodey and Vision. She fought the powerful impulse to sigh. "This is Vision," Pepper gestured to Vision with her hand. "And this man is James Rhodes, or if you prefer Tony's way to call people, Rhodey."

"Rhodey" nodded politely before he went to a staring competition with Stark.

"Hello, Harry. Sorry about that, my mind was wandering before." The red semi-metal gray man said pleasantly. Harry would be lying if he says he wasn't surprised. The man had a cape, a long golden cape with a tight pale green costume that looked like his second skin.

For a second Harry thought the man, Vision, was a cos-player. The thought replayed and the idea threw to "stupid" labeled bin without thinking twice.

Harry shook Vision's stretched red hand. "It's okay. Sometimes I do it too."

Something odd straining and pulling his magic. It was addictive as if someone dropped a love potion in his drink. Dread flooded him when he recognized it, Harry knew the feeling. The image of the Gaunt Ring slammed his mind, the way the ring made his entire body move by its own, locking his sense away. He snapped his focus to stone on Vision's forehead. His magic whirled in vicious speed, creating a solid fog in Harry's vision. The power inside it nearly made Harry's lips parted again.

_Merlin, muggles are insane. They got that damn stone, but they make a bloody man out of it._

Harry had to ask about the stone to Hermione when he made sure FRIDAY couldn't monitor him again.

Vision kept a friendly face, but training with Severus gave him an O+ skill to read people. Vision didn't trust him, especially after he caught Harry's look to his stone, just like the Hogan guy and "Rhodey". The woman, Pepper, looked and sounded nice, but she was also cautious.

"You want to drink, Harry? I asked Happy to buy a pizza, should come in minutes," Stark said cheerily. _This one was easy to read_ , Harry thought.

"Yeah, is there orange juice?" Harry asked, ignoring who the hell was "Happy".

Before Stark could reply, FRIDAY voice came, "Sir, the pizza has arrived."

As though he heard it, Hogan stood at a half-opened door. One hand lifting a large pizza box and another one shouldering open the door. He wore the same black suit like yesterday. Hogan approached the people who were waiting for their breakfast.

Happy dropped the box without caring if the food ruined, not forgetting to peered Harry (God, everyone except Tony suspicious of Harry, like they didn't have other things to do).

Ignoring Happy's glare, Harry picked a slice of pizza, pouring a glass of orange juice for himself, and began eating. The others did the same except for the orange juice part, Happy took a slice before he go. When Happy was out of the room, Rhodey commented, "Tony, you should arrange a date for him." Vision nodded while Pepper sighed in exasperation. "I will add that to my to-do list," Tony replied dryly before he took a large bite of pizza.

Tony opened his mouth to start a conversation with Harry, sadly his phone rang, cutting him. "What is it?" Pepper asked with concern. She got up and moved to Tony's side, tilted her head to see his phone. Harry was indifferent. He sat, enjoying his food, didn't give a fuck to people around him. Tony didn't know if he should be annoyed or relieved.

Tony ran his hand to his hair, it getting more and more frustrating every day. He pressed his phone to his ear. Secretary Ross' voice blew in his poor ear, "Tony, I need you and Colonel Rhodes to check a place, I will give you the details when you arrive here." Then the call ended. Damn.

"Rhodey, we get a job."

"I think you shouldn't go." Pepper pointed at Harry with her eyes, smiling predatory as if she dared him to say "no".

Harry gave Tony an unimpressed face. "Don't let my present intervene in your job. It sounds important."

Pepper narrowed her eyes at Harry. Only Rhodey caught the brief disappointment in Tony's expression of Harry's impassive response. "Alright, let's go, Rhodey."

Rhodey shot a last sharp glance to Harry before he followed Tony. Their figures went out of sight when the door shut.

Vision turned slowly, only to find an irritated Pepper. He cleared his throat. "I guess it only three of us," he said uncertainly.

Pepper huffed, "I planned to go shopping for Christmas, those two baboons ruined it." She took a slice of pizza and shoved it to her mouth. Harry instantly thought about Hermione and her bushy hair flaring when Ron tried to copy her homework because he forgot to do it. It wasn't even two days and he already missed them.

"Tomorrow is Christmas, we need to have some fun today." Pepper snapped her attention to both Harry and Vision.

Vision made the most apologetic face he could. "I don't see it as the best course of action. My presence only draws unwanted attention," Vision said. He continued abruptly when Pepper tried to protest, "Beside, I need to look after the compound."

Harry turned his head slightly, the woman tried to find a good argument, but she finally gave up. "Fine." She jumped to her feet, a loud screeching from her stool legs. "Harry, I know stores where we can buy nice gifts," Pepper told Harry. _Don't you dare to decline my offer_ , Harry could hear the silent message.

0-0-0-0-0

"What's your problem?!" Tony asked Rhodey when they were controlling in their suits.

"My problem? Oh, I don't know. Maybe because he carries himself like a soldier? It's obvious, Tony, just ask Vision," Rhodey's almost robotic voice said.

"God, Rhodey, he is a kid," Tony said with a tired voice. They landed, not spectacularly as Tony used to, but it wasn't his priority right now. Not that it stopped people to stare at them. Tony's suit detached, separated, it then gathered to the middle of his chest, his arc reactor. If they were in a different situation, Rhodey would stare in admiration.

Rhodey watched his friend with a deep frown. Tony wasn't an idiot, he had the most brilliant mind Rhodey knew, if not in the world. Surely he spotted the hints. His eyes widened in realization when his mind caught an explanation. "Tony," Rhodey said, his voice soft, almost gentle, "I know you saw it too."

Tony threw his head to his right side. His mouth itching and his head throbbing, he brushed his hand to his face roughly.

"You don't want to acknowledge it." Rhodey thinned his lips.

Tony's heart skipped a beat. Is he that easy to read?

Rhodey won't stop, he will dig deeper, even if Tony told him not to, better understand it from a reliable source. "He is abused," Tony said, focusing on a rather interesting wall. He hid his shivering hands inside his pockets.

Rhodey froze. "What?"

"He is abused," Tony repeated, the words twisted his stomach. He took a deep breath and continued, "As you said earlier, he is guarded, extremely so. It's not how a kid should act, I know it Rhodey. But I will gain nothing if I throw the fact that I know about his secret he tries so hard to keep into his face."

Tony didn't dare to look at his friend's face. Maybe there was a surprise? Pity? He didn't know, he didn't want to know. "I don't find anything other than his school report, not even where he lives. It's like his life stopped when he turned eleven. His relatives who took care of him until he was eleven went missing two years ago. That leaves many possibilities, his relatives dead, or they don't care about him. Worse, he lives alone until now. It's sickening me."

"Tony-"

"Tony, there you are," Secretary Ross said, approaching him, both of his hands put together on his back. He stopped and gave a single polite nod to Rhodey. "Colonel Rhodes," he addressed him.

"I need you two to investigate possibly a new aliens attack…" the Secretary told them. Tony almost groaned at that while Rhodey was impassive. When Ross finished, they went to work, and for the first time in the day, forgetting about Harry.

0-0-0-0-0

Harry hated the crowd. No, it had nothing to do with the fact that he was a complete paranoid jerk, but because noises they created burning his sensitive ears. However, Pepper didn't share his view. She walked through a sea of people with ease. She twisted her shoulder like a dancer while Harry stumbled right and left with people bumped all over him.

His shoes scratched the stone floor, colorful small lights colored lines of a frown on his face. "Wipe that scowl, Harry." Pepper hung another paper bag to his stretched hand with a jovial smile and hums. Damn it. Now he understood why Hogan and Vision tried their best to get away from this so-called shopping.

"What do you want to buy for Tony?" Pepper spun on her heel. If Harry wasn't in a foul mood, he would whistle on how she did it without making fun of herself.

"Book?" Harry answered lazily. Pepper glared at him. What? Harry thought.

"Absolutely not!" Pepper stumped her shoe, tensed her hands. "I don't want to hear him whining because you don't give a shit about him." _Well, that was true._ Harry rolled his eyes. What did she expect? Stark was a complete stranger to him. A level worse than a stranger, if he counted that the man never tried to check if Harry was even alive with his fancy techs.

Seeing Pepper still glaring at him and Harry had no plan messing around with the woman, he said, "Alright, alright." Harry looked at shops around him to see what he could buy as a gift. He gave up when he found nothing except ridiculous colorful chocolates and useless toys. His mind cleaned all the flashes of image if he bought those things as a gift.

"What does he need anyway. He has everything. If he doesn't, he could snap his finger and it will be available," Harry grumbled.

Pepper convulsed, whirled around. Harry expected a glare, but Pepper gave him a… he didn't know what was that. Her eyebrows almost merged into a line, her lips pressed until he could only see a thin curve. "Is that how you see Tony?" her voice was thin, almost soundless.

Harry blinked. "Yes?" he said uncertainly.

Pepper threw her head away, sighing exasperatedly. "God, kid, I know you are annoying, but I never thought you are an idiot."

"Huh?" a dumb, childish response that would embarrass him if he used it in Magical World slipped through Harry's mouth. Thank Merlin his face was calm or he could bang it to the nearest wall.

Pepper didn't answer immediately, she studied Harry's face for a long three beats. Everything hazy now, sounds around them muffled. Harry didn't care anymore with the Christmas song that played with mad volume, Santa Claus's cringe laugh, or even a crying four years old with outstanding determination to break everyone's ears.

"He- how should I explain it," Pepper said, frowned deeper, pressed her lips harder. "Sometimes he is an asshole, but believe me when I say he is doing his best for you." Her blazing eyes met Harry's two somber green orbs. A second later, she saw brilliant green eyes again. _Must be a trick of the light_ , she thought.

The boy lowered his gaze, looking like a kicked lost puppy. It wasn't fair. Now Pepper felt like she was the wrong one. Especially when she hung all her purchases on his arms and his untamed hair spiking everywhere. "Okay," he said, almost a whisper.

"Okay - okay what?"

"I'll try to be nice with him."

"Try?" Pepper asked disbelievingly.

Harry glared at Pepper as if she was the crazy one. "I only met him for two days. Do you expect it to be sunshine and rainbows?" he spatted.

"Fine," Pepper huffed, her cheek flushed slightly pink. _How hard will it be to at least pretend he likes Tony?_ she thought.

Harry snorted. Although he couldn't lie, he also looked ahead for Christmas. He was curious what Stark would give him. A part of him hoped he could disable FRIDAY by tomorrow so he could contact his own family in the Magical World, but since when he got what he wanted. As for the gift for Stark, he could only imagine a gift that will boost his ego.

Harry let Pepper lead him to the center of the mall. A boom of Jingle Bell music caught Harry's attention. There was a glass stag statue beside a giant Christmas tree, stood with one leg held upward, just below its chest. Without invitation -but not unwelcome- an idea struck to his head. "I think I know what I will give him."

"Right, where to go now?" she asked, focusing on a mannequin at their left that separated by thick glass. It wore a deep blue dress, the thin end of it sweeping the floor.

For some reason, Harry didn't think Pepper was listening.

"I never say I will buy it."

At that, Pepper turned around. "You are going to make it? That's… unexpected."

Harry tilted his head like a curious kid, though his face was completely blank. "Not quite."

Pepper let go an unladylike snort. "Playing riddle with me now, huh?" Harry gripped -or pinched- his thigh to prevent him from stiffening suddenly in the "Riddle" part.

"No, but where's the fun of it if I tell you now?"

"The gift is for Tony, not me," Pepper tried to persuade Harry.

"Your gift, St-Tony's, and the others are the same kind." Harry caught Pepper's sad look for a second after he almost blurted "Stark". Regret stirring inside him before Harry shoved it away, focusing on his steps.

"Don't blame him too much."

"I'm not-"

"He didn't know," Pepper said, looking straight to Harry. "Tony is sure he was careful, extremely so to the point he could shove off any women trying to touch his fortune by his mini-me. Don't forget to add the situation he is in right now to the equation. He is a complete mess, even if he is too stubborn to show it."

Pepper caught a slight doubt in Harry. She sighed, he was stubborn too, just like his father. She couldn't help but crack a smile. She pressed it away before the kid saw her.

They walked again without talking to each other. Pepper considered the silence as bliss. She let the kid think about what she said earlier while she tried to contact Peter for Christmas.


End file.
